


August Blossom

by lovi



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:02:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25522549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovi/pseuds/lovi
Summary: An August blossom, a late bloomer,Kageyama and Hinata share a moment alone together before the world wakes up and the third and final chapter of their high school lives begins, reflecting on the past, present, and future and what these mean for eachother.---basically a short kagehina confession drabble
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 2
Kudos: 45





	August Blossom

**Author's Note:**

> hey y'all!! this is really not based around canon events at all other than a very minor and brief mention of kageyama's backstory so if something's off don't look at me, I'm also tired and sleeping after this HEHE goodnight <3 hope you all enjoy, I'm just wringing some feelings out of me, that's all.

4:40 AM, August 28th. All was quiet and a soft chill sat on the last few minutes of night before daybreak: the only interruption being a creak coming from the fifth cabin door followed by soft footsteps on the earth. Hinata Shoyo took a breath of the chilled but humid air, zipping up his coat and tying his shoelaces. After briefly stretching, he took off on his morning jog.

For the past 3 weeks, Karasuno’s volleyball club had been residing at a small campsite while they were training for the upcoming season: at 9 AM today, they were set to head back home and Hinata had about 3 days of summer left before beginning his third year. The tall grass and weeds along the skinny dirt path brushed up against his ankles as he picked up pace along an incline, the dewdrops chilling his skin. 

His final year. This was his _final year_. Of playing high school volleyball, of playing with all his teammates he had grown to love so much. There was excitement in these changes, because departing from the old meant arriving at the new: new post-high school opportunities, chances to compete with new athletes and reach new heights. Over the past three years, Hinata learned to not only value those around him, but to value himself and the ways he can fit with any number of different players. Anyone. He just needed to keep telling that to himself: “I’m fully capable of working with _anyone_. Just because I love these people does not limit my love and efforts to this space.” Picking up pace again, stumbling over some rocks, smiling a bit to himself.

Hinata gradually slowed down and eventually lowered his pace to a soft walk. This was a path he had grown quite familiar with, and he had almost reached his favorite part. He emerged from the forest path and was standing on a large boulder on the face of the cliff; further down the boulder was a ledge near the edge that jutted out and made the perfect sunrise lookout. The view of the forest was currently shrouded in a dense morning mist, but would soon be set aglow in the fiery hues of sunrise. The world was quiet at this hour, in the most beautiful sense.

Hinata placed his water bottle near the forest path and walked down towards the rock ledge, breathing in the leftover air of a late August night. He sat and took in the sight before him – no matter how many times he sat on this ledge, there was always that slight rush at the beginning where he realized just how far of a fall it would be if he slipped. But this feeling was almost something he could lean into and appreciate in a different sense now.

After a short breath of rest, he picked out the quiet and distant sound of soft footsteps on the pine needle beds of the trail. Who else could be coming up here at this hour? Hinata hadn’t bumped into anyone on his morning runs during all three weeks of their training.

“Hinata?” He turned around to see the lanky figure of his teammate, Kageyama Tobio, nearly out of breath. Hinata felt calm.

“Kageyama? What are you doing all the way up here?” He sat with his legs dangling over the edge. 

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that? I wanted to watch the sun rise.” Hinata smiled softly at this and patted the empty space beside him, wanting Kageyama to feel welcome. Kageyama dropped his bag and strode over, sitting quietly as Hinata gazed out over the forest.

“I’ve been coming out here every morning. The sunrise changes each time, you should’ve been there for some of ‘em.”

“I’ve been trying to test out different terrains, you know – running on different trails around the mountain and forest. Get acclimated to those changes so I can use them on the court.”

“Oh, Kageyama, always trying to be Mr. Practical…” Kageyama scoffed, making Hinata laugh. “But really,” Hinata caught his breath and looked at Kageyama. His hair was tousled and obviously hadn’t been brushed yet, and his cheeks were slightly pink from the exercise and cold air. “You should’ve come up sooner.” He looked away, turning his attention to the small pebbles threatening to roll off the edge. Even after all these years, Kageyama still had this effect over him, like a trance. A trance he could lean into and believe in; trust. How exactly did he feel towards Kageyama? Was it something he needed to figure out? Was it something he would ever find again?

“I know things are coming to an end soon—”

“I know.” Silence. He kept his eyes on the pebbles, lightly kicking them off the ledge with his fingertip. This was difficult. How could he address how this person made him feel, and was now even the time to do so? The first birds of sunrise began to chirp, and the air began to feel charged. Even before the sun hit the earth, the earth knew what it was in for and prepared for it. Even the earth.

“Hinata.” He looked up.

“Hm?” Hinata hummed, making sure to show he was listening. Kageyama looked incredibly focused. His eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes were sharp as a blade – this was a look Hinata once feared, but had now come to understand as gears and cogs creaking and turning: this was Kageyama trying to rationalize through his feelings and translate them into words. Hinata knew nothing more than to smile lightly and stay there.

“I—” Kageyama paused and took another breath; too far of a head start. His head was buzzing, he felt like he could pass out. The cliff was ahead of and beneath him but there was also a cliff seated beside him. A cliff that scared him shitless, but a cliff that had allowed him to fly. He swallowed and tried again.

“The future seems dim with you absent.” A flock of birds flew fast over their heads and up the mountainside. Hinata stayed still, holding his breath. Those were strong words coming from Kageyama: what did they mean? Did they have to be dissected? Hinata knew this wasn’t necessary and pushed those thoughts aside, because this was Kageyama speaking, and he was being honest and true to himself. This was Hinata’s favorite path that Kageyama would take, and he would not take it often: but whenever he took that first step, what once felt minute and unimportant suddenly felt real, and fresh, and larger than life. But Hinata knew these words were sparse. He opened his mouth, about to reply, but was cut off by Kageyama, who continued to speak.

“You’ve helped me move forward. You’ve helped me to better myself and those around me and given me the tools to do that for the rest of my life. I am incredibly thankful for everything you’ve done for me and can’t even begin to describe these things to you. But I just can’t seem to shake the fact that this—”

“—Is our last year together.” Hinata completed his thought with a gentle smile. “I know. It feels unreal. Time flew by.” Kageyama shifted and let his legs dangle over the edge like Hinata’s, beside Hinata’s. The sun had begun to rise—changing the color of its surrounding atmosphere, tinged with reds and oranges—but the yellow orb could not yet be seen. The birds had quieted down a bit and were beginning to settle into their morning routines. 

“ _You_ flew by. Hinata, you—” Hinata took a sharp breath and turned to face Kageyama, looking into him. His expression was unreadable, but easily described: it was the same wanting look he gave Kageyama every time they went in for a joint attack. It said “share yourself with me”: it said “ _let me in_.”

“—You flew through me. You gave me a strength I never imagined another person giving me.” Hinata scooted just a millimeter or so closer—making sure not to breach a gap Kageyama hadn’t built a bridge over yet. This was different from the rivers Kageyama created in games and practices: this was a river he refused to wade through.

“Kageyama,” He inched his hand over and rested it aside Kageyama’s, the sides of their palms touching. “I am here now. I am here for this year. I am unbelievably lucky to have known you.” He paused and made sure that Kageyama was looking at him. “You’ve opened a door for me and it wiped my slate clean. Have I ever told you, I can’t remember what things felt like before knowing you? You have made an impression on me that cannot be erased, cannot be removed. And cannot be taken away.” He brought his voice down to a quiet whisper. “No matter how far away you are, I will never forget you. You are important to me.” He placed his hand on top of Kageyama’s and continued to look into his eyes. All Hinata could think was _I want you to know I am here, I am here right now, that is what is important, I am here beside you right now._

Kageyama was thinking so much that he was starting to forget how; he was struggling to sort through the powerful current of emotions that was tumbling, rushing through him. It felt like the river of time and everything was meshing together: Sunrise, birds, warm colors, cool rock beneath his fingertips. Hinata’s warmth glowing beside him, summer coming to a close; _high school_ coming to a close… High school, middle school. Old dreams and nightmares. Grandfather. Volleyball. Hinata. _Hinata_ : He gave in; he crumbled. A little tear slipped past and rolled down his cheek, and the walls came tumbling down, the river breaking through the dam.

“I love you.”

Hinata exhaled and let go of a breath he didn’t even know he was holding. His lungs were empty but everything else was so full he could hardly stand it. What did he just say? _Love?_ What kind of love was he talking about? What was Hinata feeling right now, what had he been feeling all this time? Was this something he would never be able to explain? Was this love?

“I love you, Hinata, I do. I love you for all of who you are and how you are with me. And I am scared to lose you, I am.” The tears had really began to flow more freely now and the sun had started coming up, the sunlight hitting their faces and catching on one of his tears as it fell to the stony surface of the ledge.

“Kageyama. Look up, please.” He wiped his tears and looked up at Hinata, who reached out and took his hand in his own: he had tears in his eyes as well, delicate pearls threatened to spill off the string.

“I love you too.”

The sun rose and the world stopped and everything was quiet and loud. They stayed sitting together in silence, hand in hand, and walked back down the path together, with just 10 minutes to pack before the drive home. The air was thickened with the buzz and hum of locusts, an orchestra that wrapped its arms around this moment, tucking it in bed: an August blossom, a late bloomer. Hinata sat next to Kageyama on the bus and they fell asleep on eachother as soft dreams leaked in through the window like sunlight. They were headed home.


End file.
